10 November
Kevin Foster
Competition and warfare in bacteria and the human microbiome
Microbial communities contain many evolving and interacting bacteria, which makes them difficult to understand and predict. Using a combination of theory and experiment, we study what it takes for bacteria to succeed in diverse communities. One way is to actively kill and inhibit competitors and we study the strategies that bacteria use in toxin-mediated warfare, including reciprocation and the scorched-earth strategy of making broad-spectrum antibiotics. We are now using our understanding of bacterial competition to try to manipulate gut communities for better health. Our goal is to both stabilise microbiome communities and remove problem species without the use of antibiotics.
Date: 10 November at 2 pm
Venue: Department of Physics Small Lecture Theatre